Condensate drain pan for air conditioning system

Abstract

A drain pan for capturing condensate from a cooling coil in an air conditioning system is configured to facilitate condensate drainage from the pan and to inhibit accumulation of condensate therein. The pan includes troughs for collecting condensate and for channeling the condensate to the front part of the pan where the drain openings are located. A back trough has a central hump to enhance the flow of condensate from the back trough in both directions into opposed side troughs. The side troughs are sloped from back to front to conduct the condensate into a front trough to facilitate drainage from the pan. The lowermost portion of the front trough region is defined by a relatively narrow, non-flat area to reduce the amount of condensate residue in the pan.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]This invention relates generally to air conditioning systems and in particular to a drain pan adapted to capture condensate from a cooling coil in an air conditioning system.BACKGROUND ART[0002]Air conditioning systems typically include a blower for circulating air to and from an indoor space to be heated or cooled and apparatus for cooling or heating the circulated air, depending on the mode of operation of the system (i.e., either heating or cooling mode). A device (e.g., a compressor) is also provided for circulating a heat transfer fluid (e.g., a vapor compression refrigerant) between indoor and outdoor heat exchanger coils, whereby the air supplied to the space is cooled or heated. When the system is a conventional air conditioning system (i.e., not a heat pump system), the indoor coil functions as a cooling coil (i.e., as an evaporator when a vapor compression refrigerant is used as a heat transfer fluid) to transfer heat from the air flowing across the ou...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a portion of the trough between the inner back wall and the outer back wall includes a central hump to facilitate drainage of condensate toward both of the outer side walls. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the pan is sloped from back to front to conduct condensate to the front part of the pan where the drain opening is located. In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a lowermost portion of the trough is defined by a non-flat surface to reduce condensate accumulation in the pan and to enhance condensate flow in the trough.

Problems solved by technology

Further, air flowing through the heat exchanger coil may pick up moisture from excessive water accumulation in the pan, which may result in unwanted humidity in the air supplied to an indoor space.

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